X31 vs X40 shootout

[dwilsonfl]

Okay, I have an X31 on the way and have this X40.

X31 1.4 cpu X40 1.2, both 40gig HD...

but I have a 7200 2.5 HD and can max the RAM out on the X31 too. I was just about to go the ZIF 5400 route on the X40 when this X31 dropped into my lap.

appreciable difference?

Need to decide which one to pass along to my wife.

[dr_st]

Wife would probably appreciate the lighter X40, even though its performance would be less.

Unless the X40 has the 8-cell batt, then its actually heavy and bulky.

[dwilsonfl]

compared to her R51, it's a paperclip

[ajkula66]

I'm not too keen on either/or, but if I had to keep one for myself it would be X31...because you can get it to the point of being reasonably fast, which is more than can be said for X40 with the stock HDD...

However, if the weight and battery life are the most important aspects, X40 is a winner there...

My $0.02 only...

[dwilsonfl]

I know,George. I almost bought an S10 today at $299.

I may wind up putting the 7200RPM HD in the X31 and reselling it so as to get one (S10)as a toy. The T43 and larger are just too big for all the running around I do, and the newer Lenovos are WAY over my budget. For now, anyway.

Thanks as always for your help.

[ajkula66]

Well, you know your budget better than anyone else (apart from possibly your wife... ) but I'll say that I've seen X60 units at some ridiculous prices lately...

And any X60 will blow away X31/X40/X41...X32 would be a tougher one to blow away when properly configured...

As for S10, to each his/hers own, but no TrackPoint is a HUGE issue for silly old me...

[dr_st]

However, if the weight and battery life are the most important aspects, X40 is a winner there...

Not so sure on that either... The X3x get superior battery life with the standard battery, because it is 6-cell vs the X4x's 4-cell. The X4x need the 8-cell battery to surpass the X3x, and with this battery the laptop is big and bulky, and despite being lighter, actually feels heavier due to worse weight distribution (compared to X3x)...

[dwilsonfl]

Ok George, now you've got me looking at x60s. I hope you are satisfied.

X31 should be here tomorrow. We'll see which one survives the cut.

[dwilsonfl]

first impressions

X31 - very heavy in comparison with the X40, and feels less sturdy
- USB ports - where did they go?
- definitely seems like a older design
- don't use firewire so not a plus
- not sure if I'll keep it

[DPHMIN]

first impressions

X31 - very heavy in comparison with the X40, and feels less sturdy
- USB ports - where did they go?
- definitely seems like a older design
- don't use firewire so not a plus
- not sure if I'll keep it

So, what would you sell it for? What are the specs? I might be interested.

[fschwep]

first impressions

X31 - very heavy in comparison with the X40, and feels less sturdy
- USB ports - where did they go?
- definitely seems like a older design
- don't use firewire so not a plus
- not sure if I'll keep it

USB ports in an X31 are left and back. Some external drives have firewire as well as USB, so you can plug in the drive and keep the USB ports free for say a mouse and a printer.

[TheRedFox]

there are external HDDs that plug into mini-firewire? I might be interested in that, eventually. probably not though, because the Samsung 160gb ide drives probably would have more than enough capacity.
out of curiosity, what do you all thinkpad-fans think about the durability of the X31 vs. the X40. I know this isn't my thread or anything, but I'm curious.

[j-dawg]

The Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus has a Firewire mini connector. I paid the extra ten dollars for it and never use it.

[hadoken]

I own an X31 and then on impulse bought an X40. I ended up returning the X40. For sheer coolness and lightness the X40 wins hands down, but it's really only marginally lighter than the X31. The X31 is better balanced. It has a dedicated GPU, 2.5" HD, Firewire and solid battery life all in a very nice sized package. I use the FireWire with my external burner but it's not a necessity.

If you already own an X31 or X40, switching to the other one won't show much benefit since they are reasonably comparable.

[dwilsonfl]

I need to put them on the scale. With the 4cell battery the X40 feels much lighter. When I get around to clearing the files off the 100gig 7200rpm hd I use for backup, I think I'll try to move everything over to the X31 and run pretty much identical side by side to see.

Thing is I love to tinker with these - that's why I enjoyed the T40. You could just keep upgrading. Less to do here, but so portable.

[godling]

I need to put them on the scale. With the 4cell battery the X40 feels much lighter. When I get around to clearing the files off the 100gig 7200rpm hd I use for backup, I think I'll try to move everything over to the X31 and run pretty much identical side by side to see.

If you're going to weigh them on a scale, then be fair and clear off all the files from that 7200rpm drive, first ...



I'm an x31 owner/lover. I've even considered (and still do) upgrading to the S10, but the nearly-full-sized keyboard of the x31 wins out compared to the S10 (which is still much better than, say, the Aspire One). Plus, even with the 1.4GHz model (mine), 1.5GB RAM under WinXP and I've got a 30 second boot time, which is fine for my needs. (Though nothing boots like my old C-64. ) I've also been told (but have no hands-on proof) that the X40 HDDs are notoriously slow, and their 1.8" form factor makes upgrades a pain to do.

[edit: that's old data -- there are plenty of 1.8" drives these days, even SSD media]

-J